Ten Things I learned at Anime Central 2009

I’d been down in Chicago at fabulous Anime Central, the area’s largest anime and manga convention, and outside of having an absolute ball (and not feeling bad at all that I missed the Star Trek premiere) I came across a few items of interest:

Number Ten: Guys who play Risk smell bad. Or, at least, the room wherein guys play Risk at one in the morning smells bad.

Number Nine: Your favorite show will always be the one with the most men dressed as the female protagonist.

Number Eight: If you ever come across soft, filled pretzels that are about the size of a softball and can be bakes…EAT THEM ALL and don’t ever look back. They are delicious.

Number Seven: Singing Rick Astley in a crowded convention hall will get a few people to sing along. Singing “Still Alive” will not.

Number Six: As much as you say “I’m totally going to this panel” or “I need to see this show,” you’re better off just palling around with your friends. Besides, anything worth anything will be on YouTube in a week.

Number Five: Shinichi Watanabe is just as amazing in real life as he is on TV. Fact.

Number Four: Fat Men in kilts so not go well with a glass staircase.

Number Three: $20 is a fine price to pay for three days of eats. Also, when the bread says “Double Fiber” THEY MEAN IT. Yow.

Number Two: The best and most interesting things happen at night, so go ahead and nap.

and, the Number One Thing I Learned at Anime Central 2009 is…

You CAN go back. I was fully expecting this to be less fun, for the shine to be off, for it to not live up to my first year, last year (and my first convention), but it absolutely blew me away. Again. It just keeps getting better, which is something I really can’t complain about. Sure it’s got its rough spots, and I kinda wish I’d get paid for stuff like this, but still…two years, a lot of fun, about $50 total including food and gas, and all I have to do is do a little work while having fun? You can’t beat it.
Until tomorrow, I tenderly remain,
Eric.

2 thoughts on “Ten Things I learned at Anime Central 2009”

between the Risk players, three-day indoor cosplay in foam rubber, stuffed pretzels and double fiber bread, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to fumigate the entire Hyatt before letting anyone else in.